Dr. Harold Slavkin will step down as director of the National Institute of Dental and Cranio-facial Research in July, the institute announced Dec. 1.
Dr. Slavkin, who joined the NIDCR as director in August 1995, will become dean of the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, his alma mater. Dr. Slavkin is former director of USC’s Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology and came to NIDCR on an extended leave of absence from the university.
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Dr. Slavkin
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As the institute’s sixth director, Dr. Slavkin spearheaded the development of an Institute Strategic Plan called "Facing the Future." An NIDCR news release said the strategic planning process involved "taking stock of the institute’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and formulating three strategic initiatives to be realized over five years."
Among the most visible outcomes of this process was the institute’s name change. On Oct. 21, 1998, with the ADA’s backing, the National Institute of Dental Research officially became the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, which NIDCR says "more accurately communicates the depth and breadth of the institute’s research and training activities."
Under Dr. Slavkin’s direction, NIDCR has explored a broadening range of research topics, including oral cancer, the genetic causes of craniofacial defects, the link between oral and systemic diseases, biomimetics and tissue engineering.
Dr. Slavkin also established six Centers for Discovery, where "multidisciplinary teams of scientists address research problems by integrating basic, clinical and behavioral sciences with epidemiology, technology transfer and public and professional education," NIDCR noted.
Dr. Slavkin also is credited with strengthening the ties between NIDCR and patient advocacy groups by initiating annual meetings with them to discuss research priorities and potential collaborations.
For more on this story, see the Dec. 13 issue of ADA News (print) or visit the NIDCR Web site at "http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/new/120199.htm".
